Love Does Conquer Hate – A Note From Ruth Harris, a Middle School Teacher

Jan 15, 2014

The following letter came to us from Ruth Harris, a teacher at Buffalo Prairie Middle School in Missouri:

Working with young children keeps things in perspective and quietly reminds you of the hope that still exists if you will just look for it. For three years I have taught a community service class at the middle school, and year after year they fight to keep it going. They have done everything from making a quilt for a Joplin, Missouri school that was taken down in a tornado, made blankets for nursing homes, made homemade dog treats several years in a row for the local animal shelter, helped with the Dallas County Relay for Life making survivor candles, helped put together food packages for Heart2Heart, held food drives, and so much more. There are endless possibilities locally, but we have also done a few things out of Dallas County.

This year on September 11th, I felt burdened to educate my students. Some of them are so young, they either don’t remember a glimpse of the day, or simply weren’t even born yet. Looking back to my middle and high school days, the Vietnam War, and both World Wars absolutely broke my heart, they still do; but I don’t think I will ever truly understand the mark that they left on our nation. As September 11th came around this year, I felt like I wanted to express to my students what happened that day, how it changed who we are, and the simple way that love can conquer hate.

I searched online for organizations that work with children who lost parents on that horrific day. I stumbled upon Tuesday’s Children, a non-profit organization that has worked with the children who lost parents on 911, as well as spouses. After talking to Tuesday’s Children, we decided to make 3,051 friendship bracelets to be given to each child (now some adult age). After two long months, we are finally finished! Buffalo Prairie’s Super Servers, after school class, has worked diligently string after string, to prepare these bracelets in time. These students have learned an incredible amount of empathy, compassion, and determination. The string colors are black and red, true Bison passion. It is our hope that these bracelets will unite Tuesday’s Children, and our children, no matter where they are. Proving that love does in fact conquer hate.